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Bar

bar n

often attrib1 a:
the railing in a courtroom that encloses the area around the judge where prisoners are stationed in criminal cases or where the business of the court is transacted in civil cases compare bench
, dock
, jury box
, standb:court tribunal
[the younger judge brought a fresh viewpoint to the ] 2 a:
the whole body of lawyers ;esp:
those qualified to practice in the courts of a particular jurisdiction [admitted to the Arizona ] [the bankruptcy ] compare benchb:
the profession or occupation of lawyer c:bar examination
[passed the ] 3:
something that prevents admission, progress, or action: as a:
an intangible impediment, obstacle, or barrier [the restrictive covenant raised a racial ] [consent of the victim is a to conviction] b:
the permanent preclusion of a claim or action esp. due to the loss of a previous suit based on the same cause of action and between the same parties [its earlier successful suit against the purchaser for the price was a to the present suit "Martino v. McDonald's System, Inc.
, 598 F.2d 1079 (1979)"] [a statute of limitations to the present action] compare collateral estoppel
at estoppel
, merger
, res judicataat bar: before the court [in the case at bar]

at the bar: in the legal profession [pressures faced by women at the bar "R. E. Hauser"]